Loretta Devine knows how to command a role, and apparently, a Facebook timeline too. The legendary actress, beloved for iconic films like Waiting to Exhale and Crash, had fans clutching their chests on Dec. 6, after she shared a photo promoting her CBS Mornings interview, which aired on Dec. 11.
The interview marked the anniversary of Waiting to Exhale, but the photo’s soft lighting and serious tone had some fans thinking the worst.
“It’s crazy—the first thing I thought was something had happened to you,” one fan wrote.
Another added dramatically, “I thought you went to the upper room!”
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At 76, Devine wasted no time hopping into the comments to shut the rumors all the way down.
“Sorry, everybody, I am just getting the posting and tagging down,” she wrote. “Was it the music? All I did was post the picture. So very sorry, yes, I am still in the world. Thanks for the love.”
Never one to miss a punchline, the actress joked that the panic might have been caused by her natural look.
“Just cuz I ain’t got a wig on in that picture… y’all thought I died. Lawd, lawd, lawd.”
Devine even used the moment to promote her holiday slate, reminding fans she’s very much alive, booked, and busy. She stars in two Christmas films that were released on Dec. 6: Deck the Hallways on Lifetime and Christmas Showdown on OWN.
“Tell all your friends I am still alive,” she wrote. “I’m gonna burn that picture.”
Fans sent love and laughter up in the comments section.
Fans quickly shifted from panic to praise, flooding her comments with relief and jokes.
“I was about to wake my momma up!” one fan admitted.
Another joked, “No more headshots, Auntie—stand in front of a Christmas tree next time!”
One user commented, “Ms. Loretta, pleaseee!! Ma’am this year been hard ENOUGH, I thought you got the code to them pearly gates, girl!!! Wheew, I’ll see ya Thursday at 7 am sharp, ma’am!”
While another wrote, “Loretta Devine, auntie don’t do that ever again, you scared me for a second, I had to wait to exhale on this post!”
Another concerned fan chimed in, “Loretta, PLEASE, I almost drove this car off the road! I’m okay yall! Auntie is okay, and I’m okay. You said Thursday at 7? Cool, I’m there!”
The moment proved just how deeply Loretta Devine is loved. Her career spans decades, genres, and emotions, and fans weren’t ready to say goodbye because, frankly, she’s given us too much love and laughter with her dynamic characters.
Keep scrolling to check out six of her most unforgettable roles.
1. Waiting to Exhale (1995)
Loretta Devine brought warmth, wisdom, and quiet strength to the role of Gloria Matthews, a beauty salon owner navigating love, friendship, and self-worth alongside her tight-knit circle of friends. Played by Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon, and the late great Whitney Houston. Gloria’s late-in-life romance and emotional honesty made her one of the film’s most relatable characters. Devine’s performance grounded the movie and gave audiences a woman who chose joy on her own terms.
Reflecting on the power of the film 30 years later, Devine told Gayle King during her Dec. 11 interview that she was amazed how the film transcended time and touched so many people far and wide, especially Black women.
“It makes black women feel good about themselves,” Devine told King. “But that movie? Says, ‘You can be and do just about anything you dream of.’ And so that’s why it’s such a good movie for all young women, because all women need to feel like that.”
